


cracked

by grilledcheezer



Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Blood and Injury, CASS NO--, Episode: s03e13 Cassandra's Revenge, Gen, Kidnapping, Major Character Injury, Whump, Why Did I Write This?, the boy suffers once again, this episode is just so fic-worthy, variangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-09-12
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:55:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,453
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23286652
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grilledcheezer/pseuds/grilledcheezer
Summary: Cassandra's Revenge but Cass takes things a bit too far.In which our boy was much more hurt than it seemed.
Relationships: Cassandra & Varian (Disney: Tangled)
Comments: 130
Kudos: 393





	1. whispers in the dark

**Author's Note:**

> Still writing my other multi-chapter fic right now, but...
> 
> i needed a break from that angst so i wrote this angst instead. O.O
> 
> i'm really sorry guys UwU

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙

Within the obsidian-coloured walls of Cassandra’s stronghold, the almost-noiseless echoes of two pairs of footsteps could be heard, marching out of sync.

Cassandra herself strode on, cold and determined, all the while dragging the quivering alchemist next to her by his bruised arm. With chains digging into the skin of his wrists, the feel of the raw flesh beneath his restraints having to brush against the tight cuffs every time Cassandra moved his arm should have been cause enough for Varian to cry out in pain.

But he held back, wisely choosing to bite his tongue in silence rather than to risk potentially angering his captor even further.

Cassandra pulled him along as they ascended the looming staircase, staring blankly ahead of her as she suddenly spoke.

“And then what?”

Varian was startled. _Who is she talking to?_

Clearly not to him, seeing as how Cassandra had been ignoring him ever since he had been forced to give her the incantation. And strangely, her words seemed to imply that she was already in the midst of a conversation. Lost in thought, Varian hadn’t realized that they had arrived at their destination. He was just barely able to suppress a yelp as he was thrust into the wide, cavern-like area that they had just entered.

The room was spacious, and honestly quite beautiful with its sleek design, carved-out ceiling, and cool atmosphere. But those black rocks, the ones that had impaled peaceful towns, ruined people’s livelihoods, been the cause for destruction wherever they had sprung up…

Varian shivered.

Those horrid black rocks were the very _foundation_ of this — _his_ — prison.

They weren’t beautiful, they weren’t something to be _admired_.

Varian had to remember that.

The blue-haired girl stopped abruptly, glaring down at the younger boy whilst speaking words that, for just that one moment, eased his soul beyond relief.

“Look, I know none of this is your fault, and I _don’t_ want to hurt you.”

Cassandra lifted her hand, aiming her open palm at Varian’s shackles.

There was a loud _crack_ , and then they crumbled. Tiny pieces of black rock clattered to the ground, releasing the injured hostages that were Varian’s wrists. The alchemist rubbed at the areas of his hands that had just been freed, wincing as he felt the damage that had been done to the skin beneath his gloves.

“So when Rapunzel comes for you, _don’t_ try anything _foolish,_ ” Cassandra said darkly, as she strolled away from him. She sat down on one of the many ethereal rocks that plagued their surroundings, and began to sharpen her sword.

Varian contemplated his options for a minute, his mind wavering between deciding to stay silent and liberated or attempting to reach out to his former friend while risking imprisonment. He chose the latter.

“Look, Cass, I get that you’re angry. _Trust me_ , I understand. But you’re making a mistake. _Please,_ just think about what you’re doing,” Varian pleaded desperately. The girl he was addressing turned stiff; the arm that had previously been in motion froze in place and a pair of icy blue eyes looked up, riddled with anger.

“ _Excuse me?_ ” Cassandra snapped. “You don’t understand _anything._ So unless you want those cuffs back on, I’d suggest you stop talking.”

“But I do!” Varian blurted. “Cass, I _do_ understand how you’re feeling. You feel betrayed. You feel like you’ve been wronged, that the world _owes_ you something. You’re tired of not being seen. Not by your friends, not by your father, not by anyone else in the kingdom. But instead of addressing those feelings, you’re taking out all of your anger on Rapunzel…”

Cassandra remained silent, her eyes still firm but her soul slightly wavering. _Maybe he’s right. I’m being irrational, we could just talk it out._

“…but that isn’t right. Cass, despite everything, Rapunzel’s still there, trying to reach you! She misses her best friend…”

The glowing orb embedded in her chest pulsed softly, and dark whispers made their way into Cassandra’s thoughts. _That’s all you ever were, the Princess’ best friend. Is that really what you want to go back to being? Just a label, attached to the Sundrop’s name?_

“…We _all_ miss you. Please, just come home with me…”

 _Miss you? They just want to reclaim the moonstone. But it’s_ _your_ _power._

“…You don’t have to do this. Trust me, Cass, becoming the villain isn’t the ans—”

The moonstone flashed and Varian’s plea was cut short as Cassandra sprung up, furious. The piece of black rock she’d been using to sharpen her sword clunked to the ground, the reverberating sound only contributing to the tense atmosphere.

 _“Is that what you think I am?”_ Cassandra barked.

_He doesn’t understand, no one understands._

Varian took a step back, shaking slightly. “I—”

“I know what I’m doing, and I’m not wrong. I’m going after my destiny, same as Rapunzel did when she left to chase the rocks. Was _she_ called a villain? I don’t think so.” Cassandra had started walking towards another corner of the room now, calling upon her abilities to lift up a painted rock fragment that had been laying on the smooth floor. “This power, the moonstone… _this is_ _my_ _destiny_. And I am _not_ going to give it up because _Rapunzel_ doesn’t think it’s the _right thing!_ ” Cassandra summoned a pointy rock to sprout from the armour on her right arm, and swung it right at one of the last remaining pieces of a fractured memory.

She was expecting her arm to slice right through, for the taunting mural to crumble to the ground like sand. What she wasn’t expecting was for Varian to grab onto her newly-formed weapon with both of his gloved hands, in one final attempt to sway her from her dark path.

Varian struggled to hold her back, his already-injured hands trembling under the pressure they were being subjected to. He used what little strength he had left to choke out, “You have _so much_ to hold onto…”, before he was flung across the room.

A wave of rocks had barrelled into his stomach, sending him flying. Varian landed on his side painfully, his body crying out in agony. As he wheezed in an attempt to catch his breath, Cassandra made her way over to him. Her eyes were now glazed over with pure and utter _wrath,_ and she stared down at him like one would at a pitiful insect.

Cassandra knelt down to grab Varian by the collar, yanking his purpled body upwards as she sneered at him menacingly. The sudden movement caused him to feel even more lightheaded, and Varian tried to reorient himself despite the sense of nausea and dizziness he was overwhelmed with. He coughed, a small line of blood escaping from between his lips as he struggled to stay conscious.

Cassandra’s evil smirk remained intact as her fingers now tightened around the alchemist’s throat, cutting off his airway even further. Varian gasped as his lungs desperately searched for a chance to breathe in oxygen, and he clawed at his attacker’s gloved hand with his own bruised ones.

“C-Cass…!” he gagged. Varian could feel unconsciousness closing in on him, threatening to drown him in that insufferable darkness.

“P-Please—”

“What? Let you go?” Cassandra mocked, her psychotic grin widening. Blood had continued to trickle out from the corner of Varian’s mouth, and he felt the strong urge to cough out his insides, seeing as how _he still wasn’t able to breathe, and everything was hurting._ His wrists were burning, his ribs ached immensely, and _oh god his throat was closing in on him._

Just as he felt the corners of his vision darken and his mind start to shut down, Varian’s throat was released from Cassandra’s icy grip. He collapsed, and Varian’s entire frame shook, hacking and shaking. More blood splurged out now as his insides screamed, tortured beyond what he thought was humanly possible.

The teenager was only able to look up for half a second — never mind have time to assess his injuries — before he was grabbed by his collar for the second time and flung backwards.

His head made contact with the wall behind him with a loud _crack_ , but before Varian could even utter the name of his former friend, he finally lost consciousness.

The last thing he saw was the blinding flash of the moonstone as his mind was enveloped by true darkness. 

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in my version, the moonstone is an evil artifact that corrupts the user with dark thoughts until they go, well, insane.  
> Sorry Cass.
> 
> BUT  
> since i'm trying to keep in character as best as possible, it's better than making her an evil torturer for no apparent reason O.O  
> I think there'll be a part 2 of this?? Not sure yet. xD


	2. succumb

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp. So this happened again...  
> Y'all made me wanna turn another initial one-shot into a multi-chapter fic. xD
> 
> SO HERE'S THE NEXT PART!  
> & there'll be another O.O
> 
> Oh boy, Varian--

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙

Varian awoke in a haze of pain, blinking blearily as his eyes slowly adjusted to the sunlight piercing through the veil of his new surroundings. _Wait, sunlight?_ The only thing he could recall from the events of the last few hours was _darkness_.His head was throbbing, and everything was a blur.

Varian felt a light breeze brush against his cheek. Where _was_ he? 

He looked around, taking note of the strange structure currently holding him hostage. Its walls were convoluted, twisting inwards so angrily it seemed the prison itself was almost _carved_ out of spite.

Varian then made the mistake of glancing down.

He flinched, his concussed head slamming backwards into the cage wall, as he realized just _where_ exactly he was. He was _hundreds_ of feet in the air, his prison of black rock supported by a mere platform extending from Cassandra’s stronghold. Varian was dazed — both from the pain and the realization.

He didn’t do well with heights, what with his numerous near-death experiences involving them.

Things were starting to come back to him now, little by little, with every action that had been taken and word that had been spoken contributing to the growing sense of dread Varian felt in the pit of his stomach.

After Cassandra had knocked him out in his lab, he’d found himself waking up to the ruins of Rapunzel’s tower, surrounded by _those rocks —_ the very same ones which now held him captive _._ Then he’d been betrayed by his own serum and forced to tell Cassandra the Third Incantation, essentially being the one responsible for her newfound abilities.

Things had only gotten worse from there.

Varian wracked his brain, trying to pull out his most recent memories in an attempt to understand his current predicament.

Cassandra had built a tower, that much he remembered.

_And then what? Think, Varian, think!_

He’d tried to reason with her.Tried to reach out and convince her to come back to Corona with him. 

Varian took a breath and recoiled almost instantaneously, the simple act of inhaling torturing his lungs.

_Oh, yeah. Then she attacked me._

Flashes of pain spasmed throughout his body, inciting another tormented groan from the alchemist.

Clearly his talk with Cassandra hadn’t gone too well.

Varian coughed, memories of Cassandra strangling him with that _deranged_ look in her eyes resurfacing. Thick, warm liquid found its way onto the collar of his beige shirt, and Varian lifted his trembling hand towards his mouth in order to identify the substance. When he pulled his hand away, it was red.

 _Blood._ He was _bleeding._

He must’ve been so focused on Cassandra — bringing her back, and then trying to avoid getting killed by her — that he hadn’t noticed it at first.

Varian felt faint.His hemophobia overwhelmed him, numbing any feelings of agony he’d been experiencing in regards to his rather severe injuries.

 _That’s not a good sign._

And then Varian’s eyes closed again, his body crashing against the hard floor of the cage.

✧ ✧ ✧

Inside the dark tower, Cassandra paced.She was shaking, and her sharp fingernails dug into her arms as her mind tried to piece together the recent happenings.She had tried to murder Varian. Cassandra trembled, her legs feeling as if they were made of jelly.

What was she _doing?_

Her initial plan had been to get the incantation and then use Varian to lure Rapunzel here.

She wanted to fight _her._

So why had she attacked _him?_

Cassandra didn’t know. All she _did_ know was that after the whole ordeal she’d woken up, almost as if she had just come out of a trance. She’d panicked, and placed Varian in a cage far away from her both in an attempt to pursue her original plan and to keep him out of harm’s way — to protect him, from _her._ Cassandra hadn’t meant to hurt him. And she didn’t want to risk hurting him again.

She had begun to fear that she was losing her sanity — and she did _not_ want to take it out on Varian.

Cassandra stopped pacing.

She heard voices approaching, and they appeared to be getting closer and closer with each passing second. Was it Rapunzel and the others? Had they somehow made it into her guarded fortress without her knowledge?That shouldn’t have been possible.

Soft voices called out, reaching out to her from some inexplicably dark void.

_Why don’t you just get rid of the boy?_

Cassandra jumped. These weren’t the voices of people she knew.

Haunting whispers creeped their way into Cassandra’s thoughts, twisting them into something much more ghastly.They were like leeches, latching onto her very _mind_ and refusing to let go until she herself had been drained of anything even remotely resembling humanity.

_You have no more use for him. The Sundrop is already on her way._

The moonstone glowed, its light reflecting off of the surrounding black rocks that protruded from the smooth floor.

_You could have gotten rid of him a long time ago. At this point, he’s just in your way._

Cassandra dropped to her knees, clutching her chest as she felt the opal’s corruptive energy coursing through her.It was agonizing, but she could feel it.

The _power._

It was visibly radiating off of her armour-clad body now, blue sparks shooting out from the ancient artifact embedded in her in the spot where her heart was — or _should_ have been.

It seemed wrong. But it felt _so right._

_What are you doing, Moonstone?_

The whispers continued, growing louder now.

“I—” Cassandra struggled, her sanity still wrestling with the voices attempting to take control.

_Are you just going to sit here and do nothing?_

She shuddered, her body convulsing as doubts began to cloud her already-uncertain judgment. The voices merged into one, taunting her with words that hit so close to what Cassandra felt in that moment was the truth.

_Well?_

She gasped, her limbs feeling as if they had been set on fire. Her burnt hand throbbed beneath its glove, pulsing in time with the glow of the moonstone.

 _What are you_ **_waiting_ ** _for?_

And then she cracked.

Cassandra stood up, her eyes flickering with the same intensity as the gleaming opal.

“ _Nothing._ ”

She turned to look out onto the bridge she’d created not too long ago, with the inescapable cage at the end of it suspended over hundreds of feet. In the distance, Cassandra could scarcely make out the crumpled form of the young alchemist. Almost instinctively, her feet led her towards the foot of the bridge, and she extended her right hand, preparing to pull the cage back in.

But she stopped.

Her ears perked up, hearing distant voices ring out through the silence for the second time.But this time, they didn’t come from her mind.

This time, they came from far below.

This time, they _stayed_ distant voices.

Cassandra smirked.She could deal with Varian later.

Rapunzel had arrived.

✧ ✧ ✧

Zhan Tiri had watched as Cassandra fought against the moonstone’s corruption, only to finally give in to its deceptive allure. _Pity,_ she’d mused. _And I thought you were better than that._

She’d underestimated the true power of the moonstone, and had overestimated its wielder’s strength.

Zhan Tiri wasn’t too worried, though.

The powers of the Sundrop and Moonstone would soon collide with one another, and she would be _free._ Whatever happened to the boy didn’t matter, so long as it didn’t happen _now._ She still needed to have him give the final incantation to the Sundrop.

If it weren’t for the Sundrop herself showing up at that very moment, Zhan Tiri wasn’t sure what she would have done to prevent Cassandra from killing the boy. At this stage, she wasn’t certain her words could even reach her through the opal’s corruption.

_No matter. She’s going to let them in to fight the Sundrop._

Zhan Tiri smirked, a creepy smile expanding to take up almost half of her face.

_Now, it’s time to give him that incantation._

✧ ✧ ✧

Varian woke up suspended hundreds of feet in the air for the second time that day. Only this time, he was screaming.

His unconscious state had been invaded by a nightmare so vivid he could have _sworn_ it was real.

He panted, trying to get his laboured breathing under control. Unfortunately for him, Varian’s injured ribs didn’t help facilitate this process, and his breaths came out rather fast as he wheezed uncontrollably.

He was sweating, overwhelmed by the sheer amount of terror the demon in his dream had invoked in him.

 _You need to use the sun to see the Sun._ The demon’s words echoed in his mind.

The phrase still confounded him — and Varian refused to believe that answers about Demanitus’ scroll could come about in such a way that was so totally unrelated to science — but he knew he had run out of options. As agonizing as it was, he reached into his backpack to retrieve the scroll, all the while fighting back tears as he felt potentially-broken bones shifting slightly.

 _The pain doesn’t matter right now._ Varian grimaced. He had to do this. If not for his sake, then for Rapunzel’s.

_I owe her at_ **_least_ ** _this much._

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙 _  
  
  
_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it pulls you along, and though it seems wrong, it feels right...UwU
> 
> Now she really is Corrupted!Cassandra O.O
> 
> Hope y'all enjoyed ~


	3. silent promise

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have risen from the depths of hell to provide s’more trash content ( ⚆ _ ⚆ )

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙

The minute the rocks parted and gave way to a path inside the stronghold, Rapunzel felt a gnawing feeling form in the pit of her stomach. She knew that this is what Cassandra wanted, and that she was leading them right to her on purpose.

But what could she do? Rapunzel had come to rescue her friend, and she wasn’t about to let fear hold her back.

She’d already left him once before; it would _not_ happen again.

If the only way to get to Varian was to get past her former handmaiden, then so be it. If Cassandra wanted a fight, then a fight she would get. 

After a brief discussion, the group decided to split up.

Eugene chose a route, dragging Rapunzel along with him while Lance took Max and the girls down another path. The princess and the ex-thief wandered through the barren castle, the surrounding black rocks taunting them with their menacing presence.

As they ascended the staircase, Eugene felt the walls of the dark tower threaten to close in on him. He was relieved of his claustrophobic thoughts once the pair reached the top of the staircase, stumbling into the vast throne-room-like area that awaited them.

“Pascal?” Rapunzel called out. At some point during their search for the alchemist, the chameleon had disappeared from her shoulder. “Come out, buddy,” she whispered softly.

“Blondie,” Eugene interrupted. Rapunzel turned to walk over to him, noticing that he’d moved to the other end of the room and was now standing in front of a large opening in the wall. “I found Varian.”

Eugene pointed towards the twisted cage at the end of the long platform. 

“Don’t worry, Varian! We’re gonna get you out of there!” The princess shouted to the boy.

But she received no response.

Maybe he couldn’t hear her? The distance between them _was_ rather wide, after all.

“Varian?” she tried again. 

“We need to get clos—” Eugene was suddenly cut off by a loud rumbling, and he fought to keep his balance as the tower began to shake threateningly. 

“Uuuh, she must know we’re here,” the princess panicked. “Get to Varian, and see if you can get him out of there. I’m gonna go find Pascal.” She turned to leave but was stopped in her tracks when Eugene gently reached out to touch her arm. 

“Be careful.” He brushed a hand against Rapunzel’s cheek, and she smiled reassuringly before departing. 

Eugene looked out onto the platform of rock and gulped. If he slipped, it would be a _long_ way down. He took a deep breath, glancing at the makeshift prison that was his destination. 

_I can do this._

He took a step onto the platform, arms spread out in an attempt to keep his balance. Suddenly, tremors engulfed Cassandra’s stronghold for the second time, and Eugene had to steady himself so as not to tumble to his demise.

Still shaking, he slowly lifted his head, determined eyes locking onto the cage of rock.

 _No, I_ **_have_ ** _to do this._

Placing one foot in front of the other, he began his perilous journey towards the alchemist.

✧ ✧ ✧

“Pascal?” the princess called out to no avail.

Rapunzel had only managed to take a few steps before she felt the castle shake again. Black rocks protruded from the ground, and Cassandra rose up with them as they broke the surface. Pascal was in her arm, entrapped in a cage made of the black rocks. 

“Yeah, he’s here.” She opened the cage, freeing the trapped chameleon inside. He immediately darted over to Rapunzel, who hugged her companion in relief. He was safe. 

_I knew there was still good left in her._

“You made a mistake coming here,” the moonstone wielder snarked. 

Rapunzel frowned, suddenly remembering why she had come here in the first place. She had to rescue Varian and convince Cassandra that what she was doing wasn’t right. 

“Cass, I am _not_ leaving this tower until this is resolved,” she said defiantly. With her hands clutched to her sides and eyes ablaze with determination, Rapunzel stared down her former best friend. 

The cerulean-haired girl smirked as she brought her arms up, crossing them over each other sharply. In an instant, the room darkened as every gap in the castle’s structure was blocked by the obsidian rocks.

“Then I guess you’re not leaving,” Cassandra leered. The moonstone glimmered on her obsidian armour, the only thing illuminating the dimmed throne room in which the opposing pair now stood in. 

Rapunzel let down her hair and prepared to face her former friend in what she knew would be an oncoming battle. 

✧ ✧ ✧

Varian didn’t know that he’d fallen unconscious again until he was shaken awake by a pair of firm hands. 

“Varian, _please_ , wake up!” 

The alchemist moaned, blinking painfully as he attempted to pry open his eyes. When he finally managed to do so, it took a couple of seconds for his jumbled mind to process who it was that was staring back at him. 

“Varian?” the man asked in concern. 

_Oh._ Varian shook his head. _It was Eugene._

“You came for me,” he whispered in disbelief. Was he dreaming?

He moved his back away from the wall of the cage that he’d been slumped against, only to recoil as he felt a sharp jab in his chest. If he could feel the pain from his injuries, then Varian knew this was reality.

“You okay?” Eugene asked worriedly. He’d noticed the teen flinch, but he couldn’t tell if it was because he was simply disoriented from being woken up or because he had been hurt. 

“I’m f-fine,” Varian forced out. There were _far_ more pressing matters to attend to right now.

Rapunzel’s life was in danger, and the longer he spent distracting Eugene, the longer the princess was left to fend for herself against the full power of the moonstone. 

Which, as he recalled quite vividly, had been quite terrifying. The feel of merciless claws digging into the skin of his throat as he’d choked, desperately searching for just a _sliver_ of air. The sinister look in _her_ eyes as she’d flung him against the wall, her face breaking out into a cruel smile as he’d suffered in agony.

That hadn’t been Cassandra. It _couldn’t_ have been. 

Varian bit his lip to prevent himself from crying out as he twisted his body in order to reach inside his backpack. He slowly pulled out a piece of parchment and turned back to face Eugene, who was still gripping the cage as his legs dangled over the platform suspended in mid-air. 

“We need to get this to Rapunzel,” Varian stated, his jaw set in determination. 

“What’s that?”

“The translated version of the Fourth Incantation.”

“What?” Eugene was baffled. “How’d you find the incantation?”

“It was hidden with a photoreactive ink,” Varian explained. “I had a vial hidden away in one of the pockets of my backpack, and I was able to use that to create a concentrated beam of sunlight to reveal the incantation.”

“I...frankly, kid, I’ve got no idea what any of that means, but that’s great!” Eugene beamed. “Now all we’ve gotta figure out is how to get you out of there.”

Varian sighed. “Eugene, I don’t think that’s going to be possible. The black rocks are virtually indestructible, and the only people who can either control or destroy them right now are Cassandra and Rapunzel.” He reached out with his hand that was still grasping onto the parchment. “Take this, and get it to Rapunzel. She can use it to fight Cassandra.”

“ _What?_ And what about you?” Eugene demanded. “I’m not just going to leave you here, Varian.”

“I’ll be fine!” he reassured. “Besides, there’s nothing you can do to get me out right now, anyway. Come on, Eugene. _She needs our help._ ” 

Eugene eyed him hesitantly, his heart torn as he let Varian’s words sink in. A few seconds later he let out a frustrated breath, giving in at last.

“Fine.” Eugene turned his head and kept his grip on the cage, preparing to contort the rest of his body in one smooth motion before he froze. He stared at the jagged surface of the tower at the other end of the platform as he was struck with a sudden realization. 

“Eugene?” Varian asked in confusion. 

The man in question turned back to face him, his expression both crestfallen and sheepish. “There’s no way to get back inside anymore. Cassandra must have blocked all the exits as soon as she found Rapunzel.”

“So you’re saying…”

“We’re stuck out here for now.”

Varian nodded wearily in response and slumped back against the wall of the gnarled prison, careful so as not to worsen his injuries. For the time being, his agony had dulled down to a pulsating numbness, and his eyelids began to flutter in an instinctive response to provide some sort of escape for his fatigued body. 

Eugene took notice of the boy’s involuntary attempt to rest, yet a sinking feeling in his gut made him question the action.

“Kid, have you managed to get any sleep since you’ve been here?” 

Varian looked back at him with glassy eyes. “Y-yeah, like…” 

His expression twisted in thought as he racked his brain for an answer. 

He’d been knocked out in the Demanitus chamber. He’d passed out after Cassandra had injured him inside the stronghold, then again a few minutes after he’d woken up in the suspended cage. He also knew that he must have fallen unconscious shortly upon discovering the incantation — seeing as how Eugene had woken him up — yet he couldn’t remember ever closing his eyes. 

“...like, four times, I think?” 

Eugene was taken aback. _Four times?_

He looked over the young alchemist in concern, taking note of the severity of his state for the first time since finding him. Varian’s eyes were glazed over, his blue-grey orbs unfocused and lined with suppressed pain. Despite the fact that he’d supposedly “fallen asleep” numerous times in the past day, dark circles stood out against the newly-acquired paleness of his skin. 

And then, a splotch of crimson caught Eugene’s eye. 

He hadn’t noticed it, at first. The colour on the end of Varian’s beige collar had blended in with the burgundy of his vest, but Eugene’s inspection had uncovered the horrific stain and now he could only stare at it, mesmerized. 

Slowly, he placed one arm through a gap in the cage and pulled the boy’s collar away slightly so as to get a closer look.

The sight that greeted him as the fabric shifted was somehow even more sickening than the blood itself. 

Varian’s neck was _covered_ in dark bruises. The imprints of cruel fingers were prominent on his skin, and thin trails of red indicated that sharp nails had dug into it as well. He had been strangled mercilessly. 

Eugene was shocked beyond words. His gloved hand still hovered near Varian, trembling with concealed rage. 

“Varian, did Cassandra do this to you?” 

The alchemist looked up at him in confusion. His eyes then darted to the hand near his collar, realization slowly creeping into his haze-filled eyes.

 _When did Eugene get so close?_ Varian hadn’t even noticed when he’d brushed against the injuries near his collarbone. 

_That wasn’t a good sign._

“Y-yeah but…” he answered with a wince. The mere act of speaking drained him, and Eugene noticed the laboured breaths that escaped him as he tried to do so. 

“Varian—” Eugene attempted to stop him, but the battered teen continued.

“...it w-wasn’t her.” 

“What do you mean, _it wasn’t her?_ ” 

“What I mean is, Cass wasn’t _Cass._ There was s-something... _off_ about her...and I think—I think it has to do with the moonstone.”

Eugene felt his stomach drop. He already knew where this was headed, yet—

“You think that the moonstone…”

“I think it’s corrupting her, yeah,” Varian affirmed. “The real Cassandra would never—”

His words were interrupted by a stream of coughs, each one more painful than the last. His lungs cried out in agony and his cracked ribs shifted as he hacked, sending another wave of pain spasming throughout his body.

_“Kid—”_

It hurt. Oh _boy_ did it hurt. 

Varian felt a thick, warm liquid rise in his throat with the next onslaught of coughs. He choked, blood trickling onto his vest and splattering onto the floor of the cage. 

_“Vari—”_

His ears were ringing, and all he could see was _red_. It took everything in his power not to give in to the wooziness that attempted to overtake him, and Varian tried to focus on his breathing instead. He struggled with every intake of breath, which was a sure sign that his ribs weren’t the only area where major damage had been inflicted. 

_“Varian, please!”_

The alchemist’s hacking had finally subsided, and Eugene’s cry broke him free from his own panic. Varian looked up at the older man, surprised to find that his trembling hand was gripping onto his shoulder. 

With the contorted prison separating the pair, it was the closest Eugene could get, and he could only watch in desperation as the boy he considered to be a little brother suffered in agony.

Even though he’d stopped coughing up blood by now, his breaths were shallow and his pallor had become even ghastlier than it had previously been. 

Varian’s dulled eyes glanced up at Eugene’s terrified ones. 

“Euge _—_ ”

“Don’t speak, kid. Just rest.” Eugene released his grip on the alchemist’s shoulder. He lowered his hand and grasped onto Varian’s own limp one, plastering on a reassuring smile as he did so. 

“We’ll get you out of here, Varian. You’ll be okay, I promise.”

Varian nodded weakly in response as he slumped to the side of the cage nearest Eugene. If it weren’t for the bars of rock dividing them from one another, he could have leaned onto him completely. 

Eugene continued to clasp his hand tightly, refusing to let it go in fear of having the boy slip away from him. He watched him intently, monitoring his state as if his own life depended on it.

Despite his quivering body and the tears that threatened to form, Eugene would not let the true extent of his fear for Varian’s life show. He didn’t want to make him any more scared than he was now, or have him think that he would die.

Because that would absolutely _not_ happen; Eugene would do everything in his power to ensure that Varian would survive the ordeal. 

No matter what.

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ʘ‿ʘ


	4. collide

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *jazz hands* i'm baaaack ♥♥

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙

“I’m telling you, you have to go _down_ to go _up!_ Going up to go up is _too_ _simple—_ ” 

Lance felt his arms strain as he pulled backwards, using every bit of strength he could muster to keep Max from moving. The horse whipped his head around, neighing angrily at the former thief who’d latched onto his tail. Max shot him a glare that could have wilted flowers _—_ and Lance would've been lying if he'd said he wasn't tempted to let go right then and there. 

But he refused, choosing instead to dig his heels even further into the ground to prevent Max from taking even a single step. The smooth floor of the tower made the task a little more difficult than he'd expected, but Lance managed to keep himself from losing his footing.

Max let out another irritated huff, pointing a hoof towards the top of the stairs.

“I don’t care what you smell,” Lance countered. He was beginning to lose his composure now.

He turned to face the pair behind him, all the while still keeping his grasp on the horse's tail. 

“What’s more trustworthy, his nose or my intuition?” 

“ _Ugh,_ we’re missing all the action!” Keira complained. Beside her, Catalina's silence mimicked her sister's outburst _—_ a frown lined her features, her green eyes glowering at the older man.

All in all, her appearance painted the perfect picture of someone who was _exceedingly_ unimpressed.

"What, this isn't enough action for you?" Lance asked as he continued to wrestle back-and-forth with Max. The horse had resilience, he'd give him that.

This, of course, invoked another groan from Keira. She slumped to the ground in frustration, cupping her head in her hands.

"We're doomed."

And then the tower began to shake.

"What the _—_ " 

Before she could even finish her sentence, Catalina found herself wrapped in a tight embrace; a pair of strong arms enveloped the two girls, shielding them from potential danger. The tremors didn't last long, though, and to their relief, the ceiling and walls remained intact.

Lance released his hold on the girls, giving them a quick once-over before letting out a sigh of relief. They seemed a little shaken, but unharmed from what he could gather. Still, he had to be sure.

"You girls okay?"

"We're fine," Keira assured him. "I wonder what that was."

Lance wondered, too _—_ had Rapunzel and Eugene run into Cassandra? Were they already engaged in combat?

Had they found Varian?

Whatever was going on, it didn't sound good _—_ clearly, the diplomatic approach hadn't worked. Lance couldn't say he was surprised at the revelation, though.

Although he never let it show, he'd always been a little intimidated by Cassandra. Her fighting skills were fierce, and her sharp wit and attitude made her a force to be reckoned with. 

But Lance had always paired that slight fear with respect _—_ he'd admired her, and had often found himself wishing he could be as fearless and ambitious as she was. Of course, that respect had vanished the instant she'd lost all sense of morality.

Stealing the moonstone, he could somewhat understand, and unleashing the red rocks hadn't seemed like an intentional attack on Corona. But then she'd strode into the castle with threats, attacked them all in the Demanitus Chamber, and kidnapped Varian.

Lance could only hope she hadn't done worse.

"Do you know where it came from?"

Lance stared down at Catalina, confusion clear on his face. He'd spaced out, momentarily forgetting their current situation.

"Huh?"

"The trembling." 

_Oh._ He'd been so quick to rush towards them, he doubted either of them had gotten proper time to pinpoint where the tremors had originated from.

"If we follow where the sound came from, maybe we'll find Varian," Keira added hopefully.

"Right," Lance muttered. He pointed to one of the staircases on their left, a half-hearted smile plastered on his face. "This way."

That was not, in fact, where the sound had come from, but he didn't get a single protest or scrutinous gaze from either one of them _—_ Max included.

✧ ✧ ✧

Eugene knew that letting someone with major injuries fall asleep might not be the best idea, but he really didn’t have much of a choice in the matter. 

The second he noticed Varian’s eyes flickering between reality and unconsciousness, he tried his best to keep him awake. He tried _—_ he _really_ did _—_ but the reality was that Varian needed the rest.

The small bursts of sleep he’d gotten since the Demanitus Chamber had been restless at best, and nowhere near enough to keep him awake for longer than half an hour at a time. This, coupled with his injuries, made it extremely difficult for him to stay awake and remain semi-coherent at the same time.

After a few attempts of nonsensical rambling and half-hearted jokes ( _"At least we get a nice view, amiright?"_ ), Eugene gave up trying. He let Varian nod off, the younger's head resting against the bars of the cage closest to Eugene's shoulder. 

Eugene kept a strong hold on his hand, though _—_ he needed some way to reassure himself that Varian was simply sleeping and was not, in actuality, dying before his very own eyes. The feel of Varian's hand, warm to the touch and twitching every so often in his sleep, was almost enough to quell his worry.

Eugene continued to stare even as the boy slept, too afraid to let his eyes wander in case he missed his breaths slowing down or his skin growing paler. He wouldn’t let him slip out of his grasp, not when he was _right_ _here._

He would watch over him, Eugene told himself, because no one else could. Because he cared about him.

Because he’d made a promise.

He was so caught up in his thoughts that when the beam he was sitting on began to move, Eugene nearly toppled over the edge. If it weren’t for the hand he was clinging to so desperately, he would've plummeted straight to the ground. 

He wasn’t sure what was happening _—_ but whatever it was, the anticipation of it had Eugene's stomach twisting itself into knots. If he had to face Cassandra alone, well...

Honestly, he doubted he could do much against the moonstone's abilities. And now that Varian was injured, Eugene knew they were both doomed. There was no way he could fight Cassandra and protect his friend at the same time. 

He turned to look at the boy still sleeping soundly in the cage, the rose-red on his clothes glinting in the day's final rays. Even in sleep, his features twisted in pain as the moving beam jostled his injuries. A soft moan escaped his lips, and Eugene found himself growing angrier at the person who'd done this _—_ at _Cassandra._

Based on what Varian had told him, he knew it might not be entirely her fault, but he couldn't help it. Varian had been choking— _drowning_ in his own blood.

Eugene couldn't fathom what had run through Cassandra's mind at the time— what could possess her to injure a _child_ so grievously. He hoped Lance was keeping the girls out of harm's way; Eugene didn't know what he would do if Cassandra went after Keira or Catalina like this, too.

As they approached the tower of rock, Eugene noticed that the door that had previously been blocking their exit was now gone, the wall looking as though someone had carved a jagged hole right through it. He didn’t like this, not one bit.

He squeezed Varian’s hand, tightening his grasp on the boy as he readied himself for the worst.

✧ ✧ ✧

The fight with Cassandra hadn’t gone as well as Rapunzel had hoped.

Her words did little to convince Cassandra to back down _—_ quite the opposite, actually. The more she tried to reach her, the angrier Cassandra got. And the angrier she got, well _—_

The more she seemed to lose herself.

Rapunzel didn’t see it, at first. She’d known that getting through to Cassandra would be difficult from the start.

But the moment her attacks shifted their focus from subduing to injuring her, Rapunzel knew something was wrong. Cassandra was summoning rocks freely now, without care for how close they got to impaling her former friend. 

Rapunzel let out a yelp as she dodged another barrage of rocks, this one aiming directly for her torso. As she jumped out of the way, she felt the tip of another rock graze her shoulder, ripping her sleeve in the process.

“Cass! You have to stop this, please!” 

Rapunzel's cry was met with another angry expression, this one fiercer than the last. 

“ _Have_ to?” Cassandra spat out.

Another slew of rocks skated dangerously near Rapunzel's left arm. She tumbled backwards and out of harm’s way, flinching as she realized the error in what she’d said.

“I just meant _—_ ”  
  
“I don’t _care_ about what you _meant._ ” Cassandra snarled, foreign venom dripping off her tongue. “News flash, Princess: _I don’t listen to you anymore._ ”

“Cass, I _—_ ”

The former handmaiden whipped around, eyes flashing bright blue as electricity rippled from the moonstone embedded in her chest. 

And with that, a wave of obsidian rose from the ground, jutting out of random spots in the ground at an impressive speed. The princess was so focused on trying to avoid getting impaled that she didn’t have the luxury of dodging the rock aiming just above her shoulder. It snagged on her hair, pulling her along with it as the rock pinned it to the wall of the tower. 

It hurt _— oh Suns above,_ did it hurt— and it took everything in her power to stop herself from yelling out in pain as she was hung several feet in the air, the pressure pulling on her scalp. 

From down below, Cassandra looked up at her with a smile so twisted it made Rapunzel’s blood run cold.

That smile, those glowing eyes filled with malicious intent, the increasingly violent attacks aimed to kill _—_ this was not the Cass she knew. 

This wasn’t the girl who’d become her best friend— the one who’d laughed with her, and always looked out for her no matter what. 

This was someone—no, _something_ —else.

Hollow eyes sewn onto a puppet filled with nothing but rage and lunacy stared back at her. There was nothing in them—nothing at all.

Yet she still called out to her— because Rapunzel still hoped, deep down, that the girl she once knew hadn't been lost forever.

"I will never stop trying to get through to you. I won't fight you—I won't justify your hatred..." 

The moonstone wielder raised her arm, bone-white teeth glinting in the glow of the moonstone as she prepared to deliver the final blow. Rapunzel braced herself, still clenching her teeth as she forced the words out through the pain. She felt a trickle of warm blood slide down her neck.

She didn't stop trying. 

"...And there's _nothing_ you can do to change that. _Nothing._ "

Then, a pause.

She waited for the rocks to come _—_ but when they didn’t, Rapunzel looked down once more at the girl below her. She was frozen in her tracks, her arm still raised with half-formed rocks protruding from the tower’s floor. But her eyes weren’t trained on the Sundrop; instead, she was looking towards her left, a conflicted look on her face. 

Then, after a moment of silence, Cassandra’s voice rang out in the room. 

“Break her?” 

Rapunzel startled. As far as she could tell, there was no one else in the chamber besides them— but there was no way the question was addressed towards her. 

Cassandra continued to hold a gaze with the space on her left, exchanging a few more words with it before a realization dawned on her face. Rapunzel’s stomach twisted.

The look that now adorned Cassandra’s face was somehow more terrifying than the one previous. Her smile was so wide it looked like her cheekbones would crack at any given moment. Her eyes darted hungrily between the figure pinned on the wall and a slab of rock on the other end of the room. 

With a snap of her fingers, the door crumbled to reveal a hole to the outside world.

A light breeze made its way into the tower, and before Rapunzel could realize what was happening, a small cage slid across the chamber floor.

✧ ✧ ✧

Varian woke up in a world of pain.

A sharp movement _—_ maybe Eugene was shaking him awake? It shouldn’t be hurting this much, though _—_ jostled his injuries, and his ribs erupted in agony.

After shaking off the dizzying nausea he felt coming on, Varian peeled his eyes open to find himself back inside the tower. Everything was a blur _—_ colours, shapes, and sounds all mingled together, leaving him to try to decipher his surroundings with little success. The only thing he could make out amidst the chaos was the feel of a warm hand as it was ripped from his own.

His hearing came back first. Loud thumps _—_ footsteps? _—_ echoed through the room, growing closer to him. Varian felt himself curl up instinctively.

“—won’t fight me—”

A voice rang out, dangerously near. Logically, Varian knew it must belong to someone he knew _—_ who else would be here? 

But strangely enough, he found that he didn’t recognize the voice. 

“But will you fight _—_ ”

Shapes were beginning to take form now. A dark figure strode past him, stopping at a blob on his right.

“ _—_ for _him?_ ”

He blinked twice, and almost wished he hadn’t _—_ for Varian could now clearly make out the scene before him.

Black rocks twisted around Eugene's body, encasing him up to his shoulders as he groaned in discomfort. Rapunzel hung from the opposite wall, strung up by her hair and supported by the rocks that had nearly pierced through her limbs.

She struggled against the rocks, and Varian caught a glimpse of red amongst her golden locks. Had Cassandra really done that?

"Cass, leave him _alone,_ " Rapunzel said, an underlying threat laced into her words.

Cassandra merely smirked in response, turning back towards the former thief. 

"I just realized I forgot to give you _my_ birthday present, _Eugene._ " 

She clenched her fist, tightening the rocks' grip on Eugene's struggling form. He groaned in pain, forcing his eyes shut as the rocks squeezed tighter and _tighter_ until all breath was choked out of him, until his gasps rang loud throughout the chamber, until his struggling began to slow—

"N-No!"

An involuntary cry ripped itself from Varian's throat, and he found himself clenching the bars of the cage in a vain attempt to reach out to his friend _—_ his _brother_.

The movement had caused his chest to flare up in pain again, but he pushed it aside for now. He couldn't let Eugene die, not like this— not when he'd come to save _him._

"Please, don't—don't hurt him—"

Cassandra stared back at him for a moment, eyes ablaze with fury— and Varian prepared himself for the pain. 

Silence, and then—

laughter. 

He stared at Cassandra, face frozen in a mixture of bewilderment and fear. She was cackling, an absolutely manic expression consumed her features as the moonstone pulsated. In that brief moment of insanity, Cassandra's grip on Eugene must have loosened, because he managed to call out a brief warning.

"Don't give in to her, don't do _anything_ she says."

Cassandra's laughter stopped abruptly, but the look on her face remained. Not a shred of mercy nor a glimmer of humanity remained in those eyes— and Varian realized with a sickening lurch that this was no longer about petty revenge.

He'd taken note of the way it all made her react— Rapunzel's hidden panic, Eugene's pain, even his own cry to stop— all of it only seemed to fuel her, her sadistic smile growing wider and _wider_ the further she pushed her victims. 

Never in his life had Varian ever felt so scared.

What could he do? What could _any_ of them do?

They were all trapped by the rocks, in one way or another, with no means of escaping them. The rocks had always been indestructible, so what could any of them do against someone with complete control over them? They—

Varian paused. A small glimmer of hope rose in his chest as he recalled his recent discovery. Of course— the Fourth Incantation.

 _Suns above_ , he was stupid.

Either that or his brain was so muddled after cracking against rock so many times that his memories had decided only to show themselves _now._ Either way, he knew what he needed to do— and he needed to do it _fast._

After Eugene had realized he couldn't get back inside the tower, he'd given the parchment back to Varian to store for safekeeping— it was either that or risk having it plummet a couple hundred feet.

The alchemist turned to rifle through his bag, wincing as his body protested against the movement. He shrugged it off— he had to hurry. Behind him, Varian could still hear Eugene's pained gasps as Cassandra continued to suffocate him. He could hear Rapunzel, crying out—no, _begging_ —for Cassandra to stop.

He was running out of time.

"Rapun-" A string of wet coughs cut him off, and Varian doubled over in the tight cage as his lungs hacked uncontrollably. He felt the familiar tinge of copper in the back of his throat, but he couldn't afford to dwell on it.

As soon as the fit was over, Varian clutched the parchment in his shaking hands, readying himself to thrust it outside the cage. His tired eyes met Rapunzel's concerned gaze, and he tried again. 

"Rap-Rapunzel! I have the final incantation, y-you _have_ to use it—"

Before he could so much as lift his hand, the walls of the cage around him crumbled away, and something slammed into his chest— _hard._

The world somersaulted, and Varian hit the ground with a gut-lurching _thud_. A shriek sounded from somewhere above him, and he gasped sharply as a _snap_ ran through his body. He was too disoriented to even figure out what had broken— everything was _spinning_ and _shaking_ and _by the Sun, everything hurt—_

Varian wanted nothing more than to shut his eyes and escape the present. His eyes fluttered shut as unconsciousness lurked in the corners of his vision, beckoning him towards that sweet release of pain, of thought, of _reality—_

Not ten seconds later, he was shaken awake by a pair of claws gripping at his blood-stained collar.

When he opened his eyes, Varian was met with a face he'd never escape in nightmares to come.

𐄙─✧──𐄙────✧────𐄙──✧─𐄙

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ʘ‿ʘ ʘ‿ʘ ʘ‿ʘ
> 
>   
> kajsaksaa in all seriousness this was mad fun to write!! i've never really done Lance before so mad apologies for the wonkiness of that first scene AHA  
> this chapter was supposed to be like...1.5k? how it managed to balloon to a lil over double that, i'll never know. i even??? cut scenes out?? sob
> 
> also i...initially had this baby fic set to end at 3 chapters, then four, and now-  
> yeah. 
> 
> we going on to five so whoops
> 
> ✧As usual, I'd love to hear your thoughts!! & if y'all ever wanna chat (or simply say hi!), feel free to poke me on my [Tumblr](https://grilledcheezerwheezer.tumblr.com) or [Instagram!!<3](https://www.instagram.com/grilledcheezerwheezer/) (i promise i don't bite, i do love chatting with y'all so don't be shy!!)
> 
> ✧ If you'd like to share/reblog this chappie, link is [here!!](https://grilledcheezerwheezer.tumblr.com/post/629107557808668672/cracked-chapter-iv)  
> 


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